Friday, June 19, 2009

Brunch Week: Banana Rabanada

The Chef: Colleen

The Menu: An astoundingly awesome brunch. Really, look at that thing. Colleen set out to end Brunch Week with a bang, which is precisely what she did. First and foremost, there's the Banana Rabanada (aka Brazilian French Toast). This is how French toast should always look: covered in strawberries and mint, and dusted with cinnamon-cocoa and powdered sugar. For the savory element, Colleen marinated and roasted both yellow and sweet potatoes, which we devoured. Finally, a refreshing slice of honeydew finished off the meal.

The Goods: Um, yes. This is what a plate of brunch should look like. Brunch Week has been amazing, and we're all stuffed to the gills. Vegan Brunch, consider your mission accomplished. There are two orders of business that need attending. First off, congratulations to Marni! Marni, send us an email with your full name and mailing address, and we'll send out your signed copy of Vegan Brunch! And second, for the very last copy of this utterly satisfying book, tell us: What should our next lunch theme be? Could be a type of food, or another cookbook from which to try recipes. Put your nominations in the comments!

I think many times, people are under the impression that eating vegan is expensive and complicated. While it can be expensive, it doesn't necessarily have to be.

It might be excelente (and recession-busting!) to feature lunches/brunches/other meals that use 5 or less ingredients. It might surprise your readers (and maybe yourselves!) how many deliciously simple meals can be made with few ingredients.

Grocery store meals: delicious, nutritious meals that anyone can enjoy without access to "special" ingredients. I read about people driving an hour or more to a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. That's totally unnecessary! Everyone can be a satiated, healthy vegan by shopping in their local food mart. Really!

I was going to say the same as Humboldt Honey for the very simple reason that buying specialised items is a bit of a nightmare for me who lives in a very unvegan friendly area. And I know I'm not alone in that issue. So yeah - lots of readily available ingredients would get my thumbs up.:)

Vegan cupcakes, from "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World", or better yet, recipes from "Babycakes NYC", their new bakebook! I am currently obsessed with making vegan cupcakes. Although these are seen as a dessert, I nosh on them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There are many recipes you can make that aren't 100% sugar and can be less fattening, too, plus their so versatile you can prepare them in different ways to be more suitable for the time of day. Really though, who doesn't love cupcakes?!

Simple regular every-day ingredient dishes that are filling and tasty are always welcomed here. I'd love to know how to make a cornmeal crust pizza, something close to what they serve at Dove ViVi's in Portland, OR too. I'd love recipes with ingredients that are not hard to find or terribly expensive. Regular everyday food that rocks - how about tamales like they have at Por Que No, also in Portland? You could do different countries!

Hi, I am from Taiwan and I am running a website devoted to advocate vegetarianism/veganism,which is a non-profit website and all of us are volunteers. May I have your permission to translate the recipes posted in your blog for our poeople to learn as their daily menu? I will link back and credit it to you.